Over 100 visual artists released a statement on Monday calling the upcoming general election a “make or break” one and asked citizens to vote against the BJP.
The first phase of the election is on 11 April. In the past 10 days, writers, filmmakers, theatre artistes, and scientists and researchers have released statements calling on people to vote against the ruling party.
In their statement on Monday, the visual artists said:
“In the last few years we have seen concerted attacks on freedom of expression, imposition of a theocratic state, unchecked mob-lynchings, state-sanctioned terror against the most vulnerable sections of society, and corporatisation of India’s national assets. The BJP-led government has created a pervasive atmosphere of fear and all-consuming hatred, which has infiltrated our homes. ”
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The statement also commented on the prime minister’s ’Hindu terror’ remark.
“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently claimed that not a single instance of ‘Hindu terror’ could be found in the history of our country, he in a way admitted that the Bharatiya Janata Party considers itself to be an exclusive party for Hindus and their brand of Hindutva.”
State-owned institutions like HAL, ONGC and BSNL had suffered due to the government’s “bad policies and undue interference”, the statement said.
The government had also interfered in the functioning of autonomous institutions and constitutional bodies like the RBI, CBI and ED, it added.
“The BJP has been quite vocal about its practices of misogyny, bigotry and Islamophobia and communal polarization is at an all-time peak,” they said.
“This is the only chance we have. Use it wisely,” the statement urged.
You can read the full statement here.
